[A snippet from Richard Layman’s article “In a world where automobility is prioritized, it can be difficult to recognize that automobility priority exists and is a factor in pedestrian deaths”]
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Here’s the problem…
Most jurisdictions do not have a systematic process for evaluating each pedestrian and bicycle accident to determine if there are systematic design or other problems, and a program to address systemic failures.
Child struck by car. 1959 Pulitzer Prize winner for photojournalism.
I know it doesn’t make sense, but that’s the way it is. Police departments handle the collection and maintenance of traffic accident data. Even though money is provided to police departments as part of the national highway safety program for traffic enforcement to reduce accidents (car on car, car on pedestrian, car on bicyclist, etc.), police departments don’t usually work very closely with planning and transportation departments to analyze the data, and they don’t usually have transportation engineers and planners on staff either.
This needs to change. We need to link the transportation engineers, planners, and police department personnel (officers and accident and crime analysts) in a systematic fashion to yield substantive improvements and reprioritize safety in ways that favor the most vulnerable (pedestrians and bicyclists are far more vulnerable to accidents compared to motor vehicles).
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https://urbanplacesandspaces.blogspot.com/2010/10/in-world-where-automobility-is.htmloldId.20101019102141349